doug smith training

Are you easily distracted? I sure am. Shiny objects appear in front of me and suddenly I'm working on something different than I started to. Eventually, I have to get back to what I was doing. I've learned to (whenever I can!) delay that distraction and instead focus on what I'm working on. Finish something. Move forward. Focus on a goal. Get stuff done. It's still not easy. Sometimes I slip. But I'm getting better. How about you? Most distractions are less valuable than what they are distracting us from. High performance leaders focus. Focus on the mission. Focus on the goal. Focus on what matters most. -- doug smith

Who do we lie to the most? Ourselves. We talk ourselves out of things we want to do (or don't want to do...) We lie about our abilities, our authority, our status. Maybe we lie because it is safer than taking a risk. Maybe we lie because the truth is so harsh. Who are we fooling? When we fool ourselves, you know what that makes us. I might not be able to eliminate lies, but I do not have to believe them. And...whenever I lie to myself I try to laugh a little and move on. How about you? -- doug smith

The next time someone asks you to fix the past, let it go. Relax. You know that you can't fix the past. What you control is right now. What you do right now determines your present, and to some degree your future. Fix the here and now -- that's plenty of work for anyone! -- doug smith

Any excuse will do, but none are true. High performance leaders have no appetite for excuses. Front line supervisors are patient with their people and also need to stay persistent on their insistence for positive results. We all make mistakes, but making excuses is a losing proposition. Own it, learn from it, and move on. No excuses accepted. -- doug smith

Forgiveness isn't free. It costs the loss of the sense of self-righteousness that sometimes feeds our feeble ego. We don't need that, but like candy, it feels like we do. Let it go. That's harder to do when it is ourselves who we need to forgive. Then, it isn't self-righteousness that clings to the anger but something else. Something deeper, less secure, less righteous. Let that go, too. Forgiveness isn't free. And self-forgiveness isn't easy. But my friend, forgiveness is necessary. Let it go. -- doug smith

Give your front line supervisors two days of training that will pay off in improved performance, engagement, and motivation for years to come. Agenda: Developing leadership capacity, strength, and flexibility Ten keys to leadership success Achieving your supervisory goals Communicating for results Building your team Motivating yourself and others Manage your time without driving yourself crazy Coaching to improve performance Facilitating highly productive meetings Solving team problems collaboratively Supervisors are challenged in every direction. They usually don't get the training they need and end up with more problems and headaches than they'd ever imagined possible. It doesn't have to be that way. The key tasks of a supervisor can be learned. Our time tested and field tested training methods get your supervisors to explore, discover, and practice the key skills that will make a positive difference in their performance, their teams, and their lives...

Every once in a while I will meet someone who is content to remain out of control. They refuse to believe that they can change anything because "the culture is so bad here" or because "my boss would never go for that" or because "that's all fine and good but it wouldn't work for me." What can you say in response? "You're absolutely right. At least, as long as you think that." Then I try to avoid saying one of those favorite consultant answers, "how's that working for you?" because, clearly, it isn't. Positive leaders believe in empowerment. Positive leaders believe that regardless of opposition or culture or challenges galore, the better route to achievement takes a positive approach. Do what we can. Challenge where we need to. Support each other all the way thru. A positive leader builds a positive team - a team that collaborates, cooperates, and cares. Of course the work is hard -- that's why it's ...

Every big goal starts by completing some small task. -- doug smith

It's not just a goal that matters but what achieving that goal gives us emotionally. -- doug smith

If you've ever had a leader slow you down, you know how frustrating that is. Not enough resources, not enough support, even undermining your efforts. That's not leadership - that's obstruction. Leaders provide guidance. Leaders provide direction. Leaders provide training and inspiration. At some point, high performance leaders need the trust to delegate and stay out of the way. My limitations have no business slowing you down. How about yours? -- doug smith

The more agreements we create (and honor) the deeper our conversations (and relationships) become. -- doug smith

Materials: Each participant's smart phone. Process: Share with us the last ten pictures in your phone and tell us what they say about you. Each person on the team shares. Variations: Use a lower number of pictures if the team is larger than ten people. ASK: What pictures should be in there but are not? What does this say about the team? What have you learned?